Kenney Myers

Author | Actor | Producer | Kickboxer | Entrepreneur

Kenney Myers

A Father’s Pact

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ashley

I never really understood what it meant to have someone
completely dependent upon you for all their needs.
To have someone that you ache for when they fail and
will do almost anything to see that they succeed.

I guess I always took for granted how this had worked
in my own life from my parents to my very supportive wife.
I have always been fortunate to have someone there for me
for all the ups and downs through each victory and strife.

Well all this changed when I held my child for the first time.
When I looked into her eyes it was astonighing to see.
She wasn’t scared, no that wasn’t it at all.  She was looking
with love as if to say I need you to always be there for me.

It seems we developed a pact from the very first time we met.
This contract is permanent and comes with no strings attached.
Because whatever my child needs, she can always count on one thing.
The lengths I’ll go through to help her will never be matched.

-KLM#1 06/16/2013

Typical Issues Dads Have when Raising Teen Girls

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dadandteenParenting is never an easy job, but it can be particularly complicated for fathers involved with raising a teenage daughter. Whether you’re a stay-at-home dad, the sole custodial parent or still married to the mother of your daughter, there’s something uniquely challenging about parenting a teenage girl. While every father and daughter will face their own individual challenges and successes, these are a few of the more common struggles faced by fathers of daughters who are rapidly approaching adulthood.

  • Maintaining Neutral Status in Mother/Daughter Disputes – Every family is different, but one thing that tends to be almost universally true is that where there is a teenage daughter and a mother in the same picture, there will be at least the occasional power struggle or dispute. As a father, your first instinct may be to side with your child. On the other hand, presenting a united front is important for parents who are attempting to establish and maintain boundaries. One of the most challenging aspects of parenting a teenage daughter is maintaining neutrality when the battles begin to rage.
  • Dealing With Puberty and Maturation – It’s not easy to watch your little girl grow into a woman. As a father, you know that your primary goal is to help your daughter become a productive, independent adult. You also know that the world can be a scary, dangerous place, and your natural inclination is to protect her at all costs. Understanding that growing up is an inevitable part of childhood and that your daughter is becoming her own woman isn’t easy for a parent of any gender, but it can be particularly stressful for fathers.
  • Letting Daughters Make Their Own Mistakes – You want to protect your kids from making the same mistakes you made at their age, to impart the hard-earned wisdom you’ve gained over the course of your life and to help your daughters reach maturity as unscathed as possible by disappointment or heartbreak. It’s not always easy to put the shining armor on a shelf and to hold yourself back from intervening when your daughter is in the process of making a mistake, but some goofs are necessary. After all, the most valuable wisdom comes as a result of mislaid plans or questionable judgment. While you will want to do all that you can to prevent dangerous behavior, taking healthy risks is essential to your daughter’s development.
  • Dating and Romantic Entanglements – When little girls become teenagers, they start dating. For most fathers, this is the most terrifying and infuriating phase of parenthood. Perhaps the unique perspective of a man who was once a teenage boy himself makes it difficult to trust your daughter with one, but it doesn’t change the fact that romantic interests are inevitable as your child becomes a young woman.
  • Being a Listener, Rather Than a Fixer – From a leaking faucet to a dispute with a friend, many men react to problems and difficulties in the lives of their loved ones by trying to offer solutions. Sometimes, though, your teen daughter just needs you to listen. When she needs a sounding board, it’s not always easy to become a listener, rather than a fixer. Unfortunately, a listener is often what your daughter is looking for from you.
  • Staying Active and Involved When Girls Become Distant – Part of growing up and becoming an adult is asserting independence from parents and family members. Knowing that it’s a necessary aspect of your teen daughter’s development doesn’t make it any less painful, though. Watching your daughter make a concerted effort to push you away or isolate herself is both difficult and hurtful, but it’s something that every father must face.
  • Understanding a Father’s Impact on His Daughter’s Self-Esteem – Girls tend to base their own ideas regarding self-worth on how their fathers treat them, which means that your daughter is almost certainly depending upon you to help her attain the self-esteem she’ll need to successfully navigate the world of adult social interactions. Complimenting your daughter is important, but it’s also important that those compliments be based on more than just her appearance. It’s fine to tell your little girl how pretty she’s become, but you also need to tell her how smart she is and how proud you are of the efforts she makes.

I Wish I Had

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wish

I wish I had known
I wish I had tried
I wish I had grown
I wish I had cried
I wish I had seen
I wish I had peeked
I wish I had gleaned
I wish I had reached
I wish I had arms
I wish I had tears
I wish I had alarms
I wish I had years
I wish I had ears
I wish I had heard
I wish I had fears
I wish I had words
I wish I had called
I wish I had read
I wish I had stalled
I wish I had fed
I wish I had more
I wish I had less
I wish I had stored
I wish I had professed
I wish I had given
I wish I had goodbye
I wish you were livin’
Why did you have to die?

-KLM

What are you wishing for? Maybe today is the day to act on that wish.

Dedicated to our friends in the Angeli family 05/21/2015 http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Reports-HPD-officer-found-dead-inside-car-6276964.php

10 Kens That Hold a Guinness Book of World Records Title

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magicThe Guinness Book of World Records is renowned across the globe for measuring, adjudicating and compiling extraordinary feats by ordinary people. People are not the only ones who can hold a record – places, inanimate objects, animals and insects have been record holders, too! The ten entries in this list, however, are all people named Ken who set or helped set records that made their way into the famous big book.

  • Ken Darby Singers – The popular Christmas song “White Christmas,” by Bing Crosby, holds the Guinness World Record for most ever single sales. Crosby recorded the track with the Ken Darby Singers, who also deserve acknowledgment for the song’s success. White Christmas has sold over 50 million copies worldwide, with no sign of sales ever slowing down.
  • Most Albino Siblings – One of four U.S. brothers who hold the record for most albino siblings, Kenneth Sesler passed away in February of 1999. In all, there were 8 children in the Sesler family, however, only the four eldest carried the albino gene. Although another family, the Gaulins, have matched the Sesler’s record, no other family has managed to topple it.
  • Kenneth Griffin – Husband and wife Anne and Kenneth Griffin purchased the “most expensive painting by a living artist.” The couple spent a whopping $80 million dollars on the painting entitled “False Start” by Jasper Johns in 2006. Although the Guinness World Record is actually held by Johns, it would not have been possible without the Griffins having made the extravagant purchase.
  • Most Expensive Magic Show – At an astounding cost of over $28 million, “Siegfried and Roy at the Mirage” holds the record for most expensive magic show. Kenneth Feld & Co produced the Las Vegas show, which starred world famous magicians, Siegfried Fishbacher and Roy Horn from Germany. The show generated around $44.6 million per year in ticket sales, which more than made up for the huge production costs.
  • The Largest Collection of Toasters – This eponymous award is held by Kenneth Huggins of Columbia, South Carolina, who owns 1,284 toasters. Huggins was an enthusiastic collector of phonographs, radios and automobiles before he started his unusual toaster collection. Dr. Huggins is not alone in his love of toasters, as he is also a member of the Toaster Collectors Association, which was formed in 1999.
  • Highest score on Beyond Good & Evil – With a grand score of 7,818,090 points, Kenneth Ray Craig Jr. is the master of Ubisoft’s popular game, Beyond Good & Evil. As of 2009, Craig was still the official high scorer, ranked against players from all over the world. Kenneth is also known by his handle “maken90,” so if you are looking for serious gaming challenge, why not try to beat his score?
  • First Use of the F-Word on TV – It is hard to believe that the first ever F-bomb was dropped on U.K. TV way back in 1965. Kenneth Tynan has the distinction of holding this dubious honor, which is due to his use of the F-word on a show entitled BBC3. Unfortunately for Tynan, the incident drew a close to his rather short television career, due to public outrage over “morals and decency.”
  • First Successful Craniopagus Separation – This surgery marked the first time that Siamese twins, connected at the head, were successful separated. The twins, Vilija and Vatalija Tamulevicius, where separated by a Russian doctor, Alexander Konovalov; however, their bodies did not take to the artificial skulls used in the procedure. They were subsequently flown to the U.S., where Dr. Kenneth E. Salyer performed successful skull reconstruction surgery on the girls.
  • Fastest Eater – Dr. Kenneth Catania is responsible for the research that discovered the fastest eating mammal, at Vanderbilt University, Tennessee. The award is based on the time it takes between identifying a food source, capturing and eating it, and then moving onto a new search. However, the actual winner of the award, with a time of 230 milliseconds, is the Star-Nosed Mole, a semi-aquatic animal that is indigenous to North America.
  • First Judicial Single Drug Execution – This is one Guinness world record that no one wanted to hold. Kenneth Biros was the first convicted prisoner to face death by execution, using a single large injection of anesthetic. Biros was convicted for the murder of a 22-year old woman in 1991. The execution took place in Ohio, U.S.A, on December 8, 2009 at 11:00 AM. Biros had fought for clemency, arguing that lethal injection was a form of cruel and unusual punishment.

10 iPhone Apps for Recording & Editing Audio

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fireIf you know me at all you know that I love my iPhone 5 and that I enjoy making stop motion and other movies with it.  However, once I have made the vid I have to decide how to deal with the audio for the newly created short.  I’ll be honest, I’m still experimenting with different applications like FiRe and FourTrack, but here is a list of 10 interesting applications that I have looked into recently with some basic descriptions of each:

  1. VC Audio Pro – VeriCorder Technology’s $6.99 VC Audio Pro app was designed for broadcasters, but is a powerful and functional tool for anyone that needs to record and edit audio with their iPhone. With multi-track editing capability, a sound mixer, clip arranger and a volume curve, there’s little this app can’t do in terms of on-the-go sound editing.
  2. Recorder & Editor ~ iSaidWhat?! – Record anything you hear and then edit it with the built-in features of the $2.99 Recorder & Editor app, which allows for cutting, arranging and sharing as well as microphone sensitivity adjustment. Share your work through email, Facebook and Twitter or send files to DropBox for backup with this fun and functional app.
  3. Voxie Pro Recorder – Highly rated and well-reviewed, Bottle Rocket’s $4.99 Voxie Pro Recorder is designed to collect dictation, voice notes and group messaging audio information. A touchable waveform makes navigation simple and quick, while the unrestricted file size lets you record for as long as you need to.
  4. MultiTrack DAW – Musicians are no longer restricted to a full studio if they want to record, edit and release their songs for the world to hear. This $9.99 app allows you to record multiple takes with up to 24 tracks, as well as move and trim audio until the arrangement is perfect.
  5. GarageBand – Whether you’re a multi-instrumentalist with a feel for music in all of its forms or an advanced beginner with a great ear, you can record and edit songs of your own creation using the Touch Instruments of GarageBand for iPhone. For $4.99, you can conduct an orchestra, create an entire song of your own imagining or use the Jam Session feature to play as an ensemble with your friends.
  6. Hindenburg Field Recorder – At $29.99, the Hindenburg Field Recorder app has a price point that could restrict its scope to only dedicated professional users, but it does offer a wealth of features and capabilities that make it a worthwhile investment. Non-destructive editing tools offer full undo and redo capabilities, along with a full complement of features for trimming, moving and making changes.
  7. Pocket WavePad – This free app is a powerful one, especially when you take its low price into consideration. Record anything you hear, then edit and add the effects until you’ve created the ideal project. No matter what you’re recording, this app offers the tools you need to make the most of it.
  8. Hokusai Audio Editor – Another free but impressively featured app, the Hokusai Audio Editor has received rave reviews from TouchProducer.com and iOS Music and You. Edit several tracks side-by-side and mix them together, then export to WAV or mp4 format. The same pinch and swipe gestures that you use to navigate your iPhone’s native features are used within the app, adding to the intuitive interface and ease of use.
  9. TwistedWave Audio Editor – Recording audio and adding effects is easy with this $9.99 app, and you can export files in WAV, AIFF, CAF and AAC supported-formats and import or export with iTunes file sharing. Support for Apple Lossless, a-law and u-law codecs makes it easy to create and edit high-quality audio files.
  10. studio.HD – Record 24 tracks of audio to edit, loop, mix and add effects with this $9.99 app from Sound Trends LLC. Record your inspirations as they come to you, rather than losing integral ideas on your way to a studio. This app gives you the power to capture the music you create from anywhere you happen to be.

I haven’t really nailed down the right application(s) for my personal use, but I’ll definitely keep trying them and experimenting with different microphones and equipment.  As I learn more, I’ll keep you updated and as always, I would LOVE to hear your suggestions and/or more about your personal experiences with any of these or other iPhone applications for recording and editing audio.

10 Kens Famous for Making News Headlines

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kenbatesYour 15 minutes of fame have never been easier to achieve these days. YouTube alone has made overnight stars out of virtual unknowns, including pop idol Justin Bieber. Canadian teenagers with dubious fashion sense aren’t the only ones making the news these days, though. The 10 Kens on this list have also managed to find their own claims to fame, and have graced the headlines at some point or another.
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  • Ken Jones – He reported on the Watts riots and the assassination of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, but Ken Jones made his own headlines, too. For his news documentary The High Cost of Health Care May Be Hazardous To Your Health, Ken was honored with an Emmy Award in 1967. However, in a cruel twist of fate, Jones would eventually go on to battle bladder cancer in 1992 – he died a year later from the disease, leaving behind his wife Regina, four sons and a daughter.
  • Ken Bates – Former chairman and director of Leeds United FC soccer team, Ken Bates, found himself in hot water over some lavish luxuries he secured in the sale of the club. Bates signed a contract, which included a £100,000 deal with a private jet to fly him to Yorkshire from his home in Monte Carlo. Needless to say, the new owners of the club, GFH Capital, were none too pleased and took Ken to court over the matter, making international news in the process.
  • Ken Gregory – The late manager of Formula One racer Sterling Moss, Ken Gregory was no stranger to making headlines. He made history as the organizer of the first car racing meeting at Brands Hatch. As one of the founders of the British Racing Partnership, Gregory’s success seemed to lag at one point. However, Ken was not dissuaded and continued in his success, both on and off the race track. He later became a successful publisher with popular magazine Cars and Car Conversions.
  • Ken Myer – A prominent figure in Australia, Myer first made significant headlines when he created the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in 1959. He was also heavily involved in the implementation of Chadstone Shopping Centre, as part of his effort to bring easy access to malls and shopping centers to Australian cities. Part of this effort included campaigning for more freeways, which would give Australians living in rural areas more freedom to travel to the bigger cities.
  • Ken Anderson – District Attorney Ken Anderson found himself in court for all the wrong reasons in early 2013. He was accused of three counts of misconduct, including tampering with government records, tampering with physical evidence and failing to comply with a judge’s order to turn over evidence during the 1987 Michael Morton murder trial. Appeals in the case are ongoing.
  • Ken Robinson – Sir Ken Robinson, who counts the Queen of Britain among his personal friends, wasn’t all that well known around the world until his TED Talk on education went viral. So passionate was Robinson’s talk on education that the online video garnered over 8,660,010 views and counting. The talk deals with the negative impact formal education has on creativity, and has long held the rank as TED’s most popular video.
  • Ken Edwards – If you want to make the headlines, do something big and bold. Ken Edwards’ motivation for eating 36 live cockroaches was part of an effort to earn a Guinness World Record; however, he may have bitten off more than he could chew. When cockroaches are threatened, they release a chemical that leaves a nasty taste in the would-be predator’s mouth. It may have been an unpleasant way to make headlines, but it was a successful one.
  • Ken Killmeyer – He survived a tragic accident aboard the USS Forrestal, alongside future presidential hopeful John McCain. The vessel was the Navy’s first supercarrier, and is now decommissioned. Killmeyer was on hand once again when he spoke to reporters about the fate of the Forrestal, as the ship was hauled off by a Texas scrap company for recycling.
  • Justin Jedlica – They say that imitation is the ultimate former of flattery. If that is true, Justin Jedlica is flattering indeed. The young model has paid over $100,000 to have his body and face remodeled, to such an extent that he has been deemed “the real life Ken doll.” Justin made the news when he met real life Barbie; however, all reports indicate that the two did not get along very well.
  • Ken Jordon – The average arrow flies at speeds of around 300 feet per second. So, it’s never a good idea to get in the way of one, unless you happen to be Ken Jordon. A world record holder, Jordon made the headlines when he caught 13 arrows within a two minute time frame. It’s safe to say, he’s either incredibly brave or incredibly insane. Either way, he made big news around the world for his efforts.